top 5 war movies

[Hooahguy]

my top five:
BlackHawk Down
Zulu
Bridge on the River Kwai
saving private ryan
Platoon

[Beefy187]

Does drama count?

If so, Band of Brothers is on the top

[Gregoshi]

Zulu
Gettysburg
Glory
Patton
Das Boot

Saving Private Ryan is a good movie, but is a little too intense for me to enjoy.

Some honourable mentions with varying amounts of cheese factor:

A Bridge Too Far
Tora, Tora, Tora
The Battle of Britain
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Longest Day

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

[miotas]

Sgt. Bilko
MASH
Good Morning Veitnam
stripes
operation dumbo drop
:clown:

[Beefy187]

Sure the Russian fans may not like them, but why isn't enemy at the gates listed yet?

I liked it

[Tribesman]

Catch 22 , all quiet on the western front , J'accuse , battle of algiers , how I won the war .

[Hooahguy]

whoa- tribesy posted in a forum ther than the backroom?

[Ramses II CP]

Full Metal Jacket

Zulu

Patton

Apocalypse Now

Gallipoli

Yeah, except for Patton, which has it's own relevance in context, I like 'em sorta grim.

:egypt:

[Fragony]

Hard one. In no particular order;

- Platoon
- Hamburger Hill
- Full Metal Jacket
- When Trumpets Fade
- Stalingrad

Those should probably come on top when it comes to soldiers, but there are so many different types of great war-movies

- The Pianist (so much better then Schindler's List)
- Der Untergang
- Zwartboek
- Warriors (well it's a series)
- Au revoir les enfants

[Strike For The South]

The Alamo (1960)
The Alamo: The Price Of Freedom
The Alamo (2004)
The Alamo (1936)
The Alamo: Thirteen Days To Glory

[Hooahguy]

The Alamo (1960)
The Alamo: The Price Of Freedom
The Alamo (2004)
The Alamo (1936)
The Alamo: Thirteen Days To Glory
why am i not surprised?

[Sarmatian]

In no particular order

Das Boot
A Bridge too Far
Tora Tora Tora
Bitva za Moskvu
Der Untergang

[Lemur]

Wow, this is a tough one. Hmmm ...

Das Boot
Seven Samurai
Zulu
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Lawrence of Arabia

And for my personal raspberry mentions:

Red Dawn (for everything)
Braveheart (For depicting the Battle of Stirling Bridge on a flat plain with no water in sight, and for having the hero engage in a secret love affair with a princess who would have been four years old)
Gettysburg (no film made by mankind will ever feature this many bad fake beards in one place ever again)

[The Fuzz]

Der Untergang
Soldier of Orange
Dr. Strangelove :P
Band of Brothers
Black Hawk Down

[Maximus The Bruce]

I always enjoyed Band of Brother and black Hawk Down (since my clan in COD4 is based on the latter).

[Veho Nex]

Band of Brothers
The lost Battalion
The charge of the Light Brigade(Errol Flynn version)
They died with their boots on(Errol Flynn)
Zulu
and
Dr Strangelove

[Veho Nex]

The Alamo (1960)
The Alamo: The Price Of Freedom
The Alamo (2004)
The Alamo (1936)
The Alamo: Thirteen Days To Glory

Oh lol, you texan piece of work... You must be one hellav a guy to hang out with.

[The_Mark]

Here's a Finnish film worth mentioning, the Tuntematon sotilas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048752/) (1955) by Edwin Laine. A good, old movie that's quite much a part of Finnish identity (it's aired each independence day, as well as used as study material on leadership in NCO courses).

[Fixiwee]

Thin Red Line (f... A)
Stalingrad
Letters from Iwo Jima
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Atonment

[InsaneApache]

The Longest Day.

A Bridge too Far.

Zulu.

Waterloo.

The 9th Company.

I'll mention some turkeys as well.

The Patriot. oh c'mon....Mel again.

U - 571, No no and thrice no.

The Alamo. 1960. John Wayne?

Zulu Dawn. Never go back...

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

1. Black Hawk Down
2. Gettysburg
3. Glory
4. Gods And Generals
5. Kagemusha
6. The Alamo (2004 version)

[Pannonian]

Hard one. In no particular order;

- Platoon
- Hamburger Hill
- Full Metal Jacket
- When Trumpets Fade
- Stalingrad

Those should probably come on top when it comes to soldiers, but there are so many different types of great war-movies

- The Pianist (so much better then Schindler's List)
- Der Untergang
- Zwartboek
- Warriors (well it's a series)
- Au revoir les enfants
W00t! Someone else likes that series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warriors_(TV_series)).

Not yet mentioned:

Cross of Iron
Paths of Glory

And the greatest series ever made, based on a war.

Blackadder Goes Forth

[InsaneApache]

What's Gladbladder? Or am I stoned again? :mad:

[Europe]

Here's a Finnish film worth mentioning, the Tuntematon sotilas (1955) by Edwin Laine. A good, old movie that's quite much a part of Finnish identity (it's aired each independence day, as well as used as study material on leadership in NCO courses).

Its called the Unknown Soldier in English and you forgot to add that more than half the population in Finland watched it when it premiered, good movie.:yes:

Full Metal Jacket
The bridge on the river Kwai
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Does Star Wars count? Its a "War" movie:laugh4:

[Hosakawa Tito]

Some not mentioned:

The Deer Hunter
Sergeant York
Dirty Dozen
The Killing Fields
Where Eagles Dare

[Marshal Murat]

The Longest Day - Epic

Tora, Tora, Tora - Epic

Patton - Epic

Black Hawk Down - Close-up camera and authentic equipment. Visually enjoyable, has a good story, very realistic. Love it.

Battle of the Bulge - It isn't accurate most of the time, but I grew up on it.

Saving Private Ryan - Great story about war and it's costs

Bridge over River Kwai

Tavilsota - I really enjoyed it despite having to read the small white subtitles

-----------------
Ones I forgot:

Last Samurai - Ending sequences were beautiful
Zulu - How could I forget this? Argh.

[Beefy187]

Thin Red Line (f... A)
Stalingrad
Letters from Iwo Jima
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Atonment

Aww How could I forget the letters from Iwo Jima?

That was a master piece :shame:

I'll add Last Samurai as well. Despite my intial response "Why did Tom Cruise survive?? GAH!" that scene when all the Imperial Army bowed to the Samurais was very emotional. Oh and the emperor was well done. Good film over all.

Edit: I like Alamo as well.. Not sure which version I saw but it was great:yes:

[PershsNhpios]

Asterix.

[Gregoshi]

Battle of the Bulge - It isn't accurate most of the time, but I grew up on it.

:embarassed: Eh, yeah, I kinda intentionally left that one off my lists. It is hokey as all get out, and Henry "Know It All" Fonda's character gets on my last nerve, but like you I grew up on it and will stop to watch it when it is on. The cheese factor is heavy but the music is good. The Panzer Lied song is pretty catchy and the end theme is awesome.

In knew there would be some movies I'd forgotten or I didn't even think of as being in the war movie genre (Kagemusha). Good stuff. Keep'em coming!

[PershsNhpios]

Gladiator.
300.
Apocalypso.
Braveheart.
The Green Berets.
Troy.






Pfff.... ha ha ha hA HA HA!

[Marshal Murat]

:embarassed: Eh, yeah, I kinda intentionally left that one off my lists. It is hokey as all get out, and Henry "Know It All" Fonda's character gets on my last nerve, but like you I grew up on it and will stop to watch it when it is on. The cheese factor is heavy but the music is good. The Panzer Lied song is pretty catchy and the end theme is awesome.

I understand completely.

[PanzerJaeger]

Cross of Iron
Stalingrad
Der Untergang
Das Boot
Saving Private Ryan

I would have included Band of Brothers, particularly the "Replacements" episode for the nice tank action and a surprisingly accurate Jagdpanther, but that series is highly inaccurate, as is the book its based on. Building up the myth of the 101st and Winters at the expense of the Fallschirmjager is an inexcusable offense in my book. :shame:

[Kurando]

Keeping in mind that I am saying these are my favorite, not necessarily the best. In no particular order, my top would be:

Tavilsota, Winter War (1989) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098437/)
Cross of Iron (1977) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074695/)
Paths of Glory (1957) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050825/)
Das Boot (1981) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082096/)
Downfall (2004) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/)

[Hooahguy]

Cross of Iron
Stalingrad
Der Untergang
Das Boot
Saving Private Ryan

I would have included Band of Brothers, particularly the "Replacements" episode for the nice tank action and a surprisingly accurate Jagdpanther, but that series is highly inaccurate, as is the book its based on. Building up the myth of the 101st and Winters at the expense of the Fallschirmjager is an inexcusable offense in my book. :shame:
i disagree with you that the book is innacurate, but id agree that the series downplayed the germans. wheather you like them or not, they were a very good fighting force.

[Strike For The South]

i disagree with you that the book is innacurate, but id agree that the series downplayed the germans. wheather you like them or not, they were a very good fighting force.

Until they had to fight the 'Mericans. It's a fact of life America=Victory.

Don't let PJ suck you in with his Germophilla. Remember this is the country worships Hasslehoff.

[Jolt]

It surprises me how few mentions did Saving Private Ryan get. The film is monumental.

[Lemur]

It surprises me how few mentions did Saving Private Ryan get. The film is monumental.
I love Saving Private Ryan, but it's basically two epic battle scenes connected by a very, very thin plot. Admittedly those battle scenes are grip-your-chair-tightly terrifying, but there just ain't a whole lot of movie connecting them.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Downfall is epic just for this video:
http://tinyurl.com/2yfner

[PanzerJaeger]

i disagree with you that the book is innacurate, but id agree that the series downplayed the germans. wheather you like them or not, they were a very good fighting force.

Ambrose should be considered historical fiction, nothing more. Throughout the book he misrepresented, or simply lied, about the Fallschirmjager and a number of other things to prop up the myths he was creating about the 101st.

Unlike SPR, which does not pretend to be anything other than a fictional story based on the historical events surrounding D-Day, Band of Brothers purports to be an historical account. As such, I hold BOB to a higher standard, as it supposedly documents real people and real actions.

For example, consider the assault on Brecourt Manor as described in the book. 13 American paratroopers attack and defeat an entrenched force of 50 elite German paratroopers.

Ambrose says,

"Winters' casualties were four dead, two wounded. He and his men had killed 15 Germans, wounded many more and taken twelve prisoner; in short they had wiped out the 50 man platoon of elite German paratroops defending the guns, and scattered the gun crews" (Ambrose, pg. 102)

How much more l33t can you get than that?! :yes:

Unfortunately, it is about as far from reality as is possible. Just a little bit of research - the type that writers such as Ambrose are supposed to do - shows that the Americans were not facing the best the Germans had to offer, but in fact the worst.

Solid facts about the attack apart from the number of guns taken, such as German troop strength are quite sketchy, as official Army history does not even mention it, German accounts have no record of it, and Winter's initial interview about it vary wildly from what he claims today.

What is known as fact is that there were no Fallschirmjager in the area at the time of the assault. They arrived well after dark. The defenders could have been from the 709th (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_709th_Static_Infantry_Division) static division or the 91st Infantry division (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_91st_Infantry_Division), and it is questionable as to whether they were even German at all. Needless to say, they were the worst of the worst.

Of course, as every good fiction writer knows, a fight scene is much better when the bad guy who gets beaten is that much tougher. What could be more epic than the best of the Americans slaughtering the best of the Germans? :2thumbsup:

[Fixiwee]

It surprises me how few mentions did Saving Private Ryan get. The film is monumental.
I'm really suprised how few mentions Thin Red Line got. That film blew me away.

[InsaneApache]

Thin Red Line was ok. Quite a lot of stars in it. Why they named a film about Americans in the south Pacific after a Scottish regiment eludes me to this day. :juggle2:

[Beirut]

Henry V
Paths of Glory
Battle of Britain
Bridge over the River Kwai
A Bridge Too Far

There are lots of others but I just can't think of them right now.

[InsaneApache]

Hey man, good to see ya! ~:wave:

[TosaInu]

Full Metal Jacket.

[Axalon]

1. Apocalyps Now – Redux (USA)
2. RAN (Japan) - Although I dont consider it to be a war movie. If I did, it would get this place.
2. Patton (USA) - George C. Scott in the role of his life!
3. The bridge over river Kwai (USA)
4. Catch 22 (USA)
5. Full Metal Jacket (USA)

Honorary mentions:


Saving Private Ryan (USA)
Dien Bien Phu (FRA) - 2h+ of Boom! Never seen anything like it. It's good as well....
Enemy at the Gates (FRA/USA)
Dirty Dozen (USA)
The Beast of War (USA) - One of the most intresting soundtracks I've ever heard...
Waterloo (RUS) - Rod Steiger kills as Napoleon!
Glory (USA)


- Cheers

[InsaneApache]

Here's nice shortie including the last cavalry charge by the British Army.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztQ9dvBY-OM

[PanzerJaeger]

Here's nice shortie including the last cavalry charge by the British Army.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztQ9dvBY-OM

Nice.

At 4:09, that looks like CGI - but that wasn't availible in 1972, so I'm wondering if that guy lived! What a stunt! :dizzy2:

[Gregoshi]

Nice.

At 4:09, that looks like CGI - but that wasn't availible in 1972, so I'm wondering if that guy lived! What a stunt! :dizzy2:
If you are talking about the horseman early in the charge, yeah, that was one nasty looking spill!

[Decker]

Here are mine:
Zulu
Battle of Britain
Guadalcanal Diary
The Thin Red Line
Pork Chop Hill

Honorable Mentions:
Gettysburg
Saving Private Ryan
A Bridge Too Far
The Great Escape
Black Hawk Down
Tora! Tora! Tora!
The Longest Day
We Were Soldiers

[Sarmatian]

Some not mentioned:

The Deer Hunter
Sergeant York
Dirty Dozen
The Killing Fields
Where Eagles Dare


How could I've forgotten the Dirty Dozen. :wall:

I loved that film when I was younger. :2thumbsup:




Waterloo (RUS) - Rod Steiger kills as Napoleon!


Is that the one Bondarchuk directed?

[InsaneApache]

If it's the same one that used the Red Army as extras, yes.

[Pannonian]

If it's the same one that used the Red Army as extras, yes.
Gah. Bondarchuk had a larger army at his disposal in War and Peace than either Napoleon or Wellington had at Waterloo.

[Quietus]

Watchable:
Braveheart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Q3dTmLw5o)
Ran (fiction, but great costumes and cinematography).
Emperor & the Assassin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ0PPSCcQSc)
Apocalypse Now
The Deer Hunter

I know I've seen Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Hamburger Hill in the 80s, I just can't remember the plot atm. :skull:

Unwatchable:
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Pearl Harbor

[Hooahguy]

Unwatchable:
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Pearl Harbor
mind giving us a reason why they are unwatchable?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Yeah - I could see SPR or PH being "unwatchable" (I'd disagree) but Schilder's List was rather good, even though it's not something to watch with popcorn.

Basically all of my list is here, except of course, my favorite...

The Great Escape

[Quietus]

mind giving us a reason why they are unwatchable?

Saving Private Ryan - Imo, shallow, over-the-top and overrated.
Schidler's List - Worse than The English Patient. If you watch this movie backwards, you'd be asleep and wake up at the very end.
Pearl Harbor - Real title: Titanic 2: Trapped in Hawaii. (edit: what I meant is, it's a love story. Not to poke fun at people who died in the attack).

[King Jan III Sobieski]

Patton
Henry V (1989)
The Dirty Dozen
Schindler's List
The Hunt for Red October

[PanzerJaeger]

Saving Private Ryan - Imo, shallow, over-the-top and overrated.


I like that SPR is - as Lemur said - two battles connected by not much plot. (Although there were some deeper elements at play...)

War movies can - at times - become a little too self indulgent and introspective, imo. In an effort to give a movie depth, we see soldiers pondering things as wide ranging as the politics of the day, honor, and even the meaning of their existence. More often than not these movies end up being morality plays with guys in uniforms and explosions.

SPR was sublime in that it recognized that for most soldiers, war was about survival and accomplishing orders - all in an effort to get back to home and family. There simply wasn’t the time for all the bloviating that is common in war movies.

IMO, the film wasn't over the top at all. I have some issues with how they portrayed German tactics, but it was probably the most accurate representation of WW2 combat ever achieved, and showed it for what it truly was - extremely violent, dishonorable, and brutal in every respect - as most combat has been throughout history.